The First Great Commandment

Sister Griffeth gave a great lesson from President Holland's General Conference address. 

She started the lesson by asking those in the room that have had children go off to college to share what it was like to send your child off to college.  What they hoped they had taught them and what choices they would make after leaving the fold?  Some answers shared were:  having the desire to do things that are right even if you aren't there to remind them.  Being able to see the eternal perspective. One sister pointed out that she has seen good and bad results but realizing your teaching is done and adapting to the new role as their advisor. 

Sister Griffeth noted that all the comments are based on spiritual things. Another sister pointed out that they have their free agency. You have to have faith in Heavenly Father.

What did you feel like when you left for home?  Did you continues to live as parents taught or rebel?

One sister told us that when she returned home for the summer, she was asked to speak about school experience. She recalled feeling like she had left home with training wheels on and realized they needed to come off and it was time to act like a big girl. A testing time where she only answered to herself. 

Sister Griffeth remembered going to her first class were there were a thousand people. The same at church.  She had grown up in the same ward her whole life and knew everyone.  She remembers feeling very alone and very scared. But, during that time, she became the person she is today.  It was during this time in her life that she gained a strong testimony of the gospel. 

Brother Holland said, "There is almost no group in history who I have more sympathy than I have for the remaining eleven apostles immediately following the death of the Savior of the world.  I think we sometimes forget just how inexperienced they still were and how totally dependent upon Jesus they had of necessity been.  To them He had said, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me....?  But, of course, to them He hadn't been with them nearly long enough.  Three years isn't long to call an entire Quorum of Twelve Apostles from a handful of new converts, purge from them the error of old ways, teach them the wonders of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then leave them to carry on the work until they too were killed.  Quite a staggering prospect for a group of newly ordained elders." 

The savior had three years to teach them everything. We have 18. 

"Then, after such a short time to learn and even less time to prepare, the unthinkable happened, the unbelievable was true.  Their Lord and Master, their counselor and King, was crucified.  His mortal ministry was over, and the struggling little Church He had established seemed doomed to scorn and destined for extinction.  They surely must have wondered, what do we do know?"

Apostles are looking toward Peter for an answer.

"Bretheren it has been a glorious three years.  NOne of us could have imagined such a few short months ago the miracles we have seen and the divinity we have enjoyed.  We have talked with, prayed with and labored with the very Son of God Himself.  We have walked and wept with him, and on the night of that horrible ending, no one wept more bitterly than I.  But that is over.  He has finished His work and has risen from the tomb.  He has worked out his salvation and ours.  So you ask, what do we do now?  I don't know more to tell you than to return to your former life, rejoicing.  I intend to go a fishing." 

They went back to their old ways. What must the savior have felt?  Some responses were:  He looks to us like little children.  One sister said it reminder her of Oaks talk of good, better, and best. Fishing isn't bad, but could they have been doing better?  We don't fully understand the situation the apostles were left in. He has perfect compassion. Maybe he felt disappointed but he understood they were coming to understand this mantle and were still grieving. 

Sister Griffeth asked, What have you felt as a mother when your child made a mistake once they have left?  Some answers:  You love them so much you don't give up on them. You realize it's a teaching moment.  You become a support and are there to offer guidance but can't solve the problem for them. 

Sister Griffeth felt that her parents did everything to prepare her to live on her own, scripture, prayer, temple attendance. When she did have that moment she talked of earlier, when she felt alone and sad and hungering to be at home, she knew if she got down on her knees Heavenly Father would be there to  listen. She could open her scriptures and find answers. One sister commented what a huge blessing it is when you start hearing your kids say the things you've taught them.  

Holland went on to tell the story of the apostles and their unsuccessful fishing experience.  "Children have you caught anything?  Glumly these Apostles turned again fishermen gave the answer fishermen gave the answer no one wants to give.  We have caught nothing, they muttered, and to add insult to injury, they were being called children.  Cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find, the stranger calls out and with those simple words, recognition begins to flood over them.  John said the obvious, it is the Lord.  Jesus said to the senior Apostle Peter, do you love me more than you love all this?  Peter said, Yea Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He asks the same question three times.  The Lord finally asked, then Peter, why are you here?  Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation?"  Peter the becomes the rock of the Church and the reminder of the Savior.  

How many times does the Savior need to ask us to save his lamb and feed his sheep?  One sister honestly replied, every Sunday because I forget during the week. We have to be reminded over and over again. 

Sister Griffeth shared her experience with a close friend, not a member, who had a divorce shortly after moving here. Sister Griffeth has felt she wanted to introduce her to missionaries but hasn't felt the time is right yet. This friend has been on her mind a lot the last couple of weeks.  She's had a rough year and found out her dad may not live. She asked that they pray for her dad. Put name on prayer roll in temple and used it as a missionary opportunity explaining the prayer roll in the temple. She bore her testimony of prayer. 

Small and simple things we can do to let people know our beliefs. 

Holland continued, "Just as Christ asked Peter, "Do you love me?"  I think he will want to know the same of us....did we understand at least one commandment....Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they strength, and with all they mind."

What is a disciple?  A follower of Christ.

We've decided to be disciples of Christ, when?

Answers shared:  Something gradual. From even a child going to church and hearing the songs and listening to the missionaries. By the time she was 8 she knew she wanted to be baptized. We don't always see when it happened but know it. 

Being in high school and going to church but realizing wasn't saying personal prayers or reading scriptures. She realized she could either be a member of the church or not. 

Holland taught, "We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, adn good to do.  In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord.  We can't quit and we can't go back  After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before.  The crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it." 

Sister Griffeth ended her lesson with her testimony that it's our responsibility to teach our kids the gospel. She hopes her kids can look back and see that they were taught the basic principles of the gospel and hopes she can share her knowledge with her Friend.